Slide fastener construction



Aug. ll, 1953 s. RlssMAN 2,648,113

SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Filed July '7, 195o 1N VEN TOR.

AT TNNE Y Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Sanford Rissman,lDanville, Ill.

Application July 7, 1950', Serial No. 174,351

The invention relates to improvements in separable fasteners, and more particularly to a slide fastener of the kind having detachable stringers and novel means to facilitate initial attachment of the stringers and movement of the slider preparatory to closing of the fastener.

Separable fasteners of the kind useful especially on garments, and which, therefore, have the stringers detachable, have a stop on one stringer and formed with a socket to be engaged by a post or other socket-engaging member carried on the other Stringer end. This is accomplished by rst positioning the slider permanently carried on one Stringer in abutment with the stop and then passing the post through a channel in the slider and into the socket. When the complemental ends of the fastener stringers are thus connected the slider may then be moved along both of the stringers, and coupling members spaced along adjacent edges of the stringers are coupled or uncoupled by movement of the slider along the stringers. However, difficulty arises frequently in coupling such a fastener because of improper assembly of the detachable parts. As a result, the coupling members will not couple. Such improper assembly may arise from failure to fully insert the post into the socket or failure to have the slider in abutment with the stop when the post is inserted therein.

The present invention seeks to overcome or minimize the possibility of such improper assembly. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide the stringer carrying the post with a tab of relatively stiff material arranged to lie to the rear of the post so as to present av guide surface for the stop and slider during the initial assembly.

Another source of failure during operation of a slide fastener is the frequency with which one or more of the covering flaps or hems of the article carrying the fastener stringers becomes entangled in the slider. At present, it is common practice to secure the portion of the covering iiap -or hem in the area of the post out of the way of the slider or to omit it entirely. This is, of course, highly objectionable because portions of the metal fastener parts are left unprotected and often cause damage to fine textured material arranged therebeneath. It is, therefore, another object of the invention to provide means to prevent entangling the protective flap or hem normally underlying a slide fastener structure.

Another object is to provide a slide fastener installation embodying the advantages noted hereinabove at little additional 60st over the cost 2 Claims. (Cl. .Z4-205.11)

2 of comparable types of slide fastener installations.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a garment or other article showing a slide fastener mounted thereon and in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, showing the slide fastener in open or separated position.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the fastener parts in the relative positions assumed just prior to coupling of the stringers, and showing the stop partially in section.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the separable fastener embodying the present invention includes stringers II and I2, each of Which has along adjacent edges a plurality of coupling members i3 adapted to be coupled and uneoupled by a slider I4 movable along said stringers in the customary manner. One of the stringers, in the lpresent instance stringer Il, has a stop I5 kon one end thereof constituting an abutment for the slider I4 when the latter is in the position substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2. The complemental end of the stringer I2 has a starter, preferably in the form of a post I6, arranged to be engaged with the stop I5 for initially connecting the stringers Il and I2 together during the closing operation of the fastener. To this end, the stop I5 has a socket I'I therein and, upon referring to Fig. 2, the slider has channels I8 and I9 therein, one of which, in the present instance channel I9, is in registering alignment with the socket I 'I when the slider is in abutment with the stop I5.

Initial engagement of the two stringers is effected in the manner shown in Fig. 3. As there illustrated, the Stringer I2 having the starter I6 thereon is elevated so as to position the end of the starter I6 at the mouth of the channel I9. The starter then is thrust downwardly into the channel I9 and is seated in the socket I1. Following this initial connecting of the two stringers the slider may then be moved along both stringers stitches 24.

source of inconvenience arises from the fre-4 quency with which either or both of the underlying or rear flaps 22 is entangled withthe slider I4 following initial engagement of the stringers. Such entanglement arises because the rear or underlying flap or flaps 22 is of a thicknessvvhichI permits it to fall inwardly into the path of the slider whereupon a portion of said flap or naps enters either or both of the channels I8 and I9. Another source of annoyance arises from the difficulty encountered whilel seeking to insert the starter in the slider channel I9. This difficulty is occasioned by the normal concealment of the starter by the overlying iaps 2I and 22.

Both of these difliculties or inconveniences are efliciently overcome by the provisiony of a tab 23 in the area of the starter I6. As illustrated, the tab 23 preferably is formed of substantially stiff, form retaining material, such as leather. The tab 23 may be semi-circular in shape and it has one of its edges rmly secured by the row of This row of stitches may be the row that secures the Stringer I2 in place between the flaps 2l and 22 or supplemental stitching may be provided.

The tab is of such size as to project outwardly beyond the free edge of the Stringer I2 and above and below the starter I6 thereon. Accordingly, when the two stringers are to be connected, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the slider I4 is rested upon the tab 23 which thereupon functions as a guide surface to facilitate insertion of the starter I6 into the channel I9. The tab also affords a protective covering for the flap 22 located rearwardly of the starter I8. As a consequence, the slider I4 may be engaged with the starter I6 and said slider may be moved upwardly along both stringers to couple the coupling members without catching or otherwise becoming entangled with either or both of the back flaps 22.

Although a specific form of tab 23 has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings for purposes of illustration and has been specifically described in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the tab may embody any configuration best suited for the particular type of installation and further that said tab may be secured in place by the row of stitches securing the Stringer couplers or it may be otherwise secured or formed as an integral part of its related stringer, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article having an opening to be closed by a separable slide fastener, a pair of stringers one secured to each edge of the opening, marginal flaps embracing said stringers, engageable means at complemental ends of said stringers for connecting them together, a slider movable along said stringers from adjacent the engageable means to couple coupling members spaced along opposed edges of the stringers, and a tab located between one of the marginal flaps and the engageable means on one Stringer, said tab being formed of stiff material and of a size to extend beneath the engageable means on the other stringer when the engageable means are engaged to prevent catching the flaps in the slider during initial movement of the slider While closing. thev opening.

2. In an article having a slit opening to be closed by a separable slide fastener, stringers, one secured along each edge of said opening, coupling members on said stringers adapted to be interengaged one with another for fastening the stringers together, front and rear flaps on said edges complemental with and embracing the stringers, a slider formed with channels adapted to slidably receive and guide said coupling members to and from interengaging relation with one another, a stop carried by one end of one Stringer, a starter carried by an end of the other Stringer, said starter and stop being formed to be interengaged to connect ends of the stringers together, and a tab carried by the Stringer carrying thek starter and arranged to lie between the starter and the rear ap, said tab being fabricated from stiff material and being of sufficient size to extend beneath the stop when the starter and stop are interengaged so as to guide the slider` and prevent it from inadvertently catching the rear ap when said slider is initially moved along the stringers.

SANFORD RISSMAN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,969,270 Legat Aug. 7, 1934 1,970,129 Martinez Aug. 14, 1934 2,093,973 Clark Sept. 21, 1937 2,316,787 Gould Apr. 20, 1943 2,511,926 Lukas et al June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,680 France of 1932 

